There is much talk going on about China’s „charm offensive”, i.e. the desire to improve the image of the country through soft power. This presentation will focus on a few related issues: the problematic China-West dichotomy and its handling in contemporary discourse; the connection between international presence and the nation-state ideology; and also the efficiency of Chinese cultural diplomacy in the domestic and international arenas.

The speaker worked in China as a cultural diplomat for several years, so a few case studies will be introduced as well, highlighting not only background phenomena, but also organizational and communication problems.